But in an email sent to its sales agents - in "error" we were later told - it tried to portray this disastrous court ruling as a win and extract another £110 from clients.

Borrowers had already paid up to £450 each for Credit Issues to take on their cases.

And what did customers get? According to several agents we've spoken to, very little.

One, who didn't want to be named, said: "I've signed up about 50 clients, mostly friends and family, and they've been treated very badly."

Some were pledged refunds of all but £50 if they didn't have a valid claim but none has seen a penny.

Last month, Credit Issues, based in Gateshead and chaired by Gary Forrest, went into a voluntary arrangement. In short, it's run out of cash. But Forrest, 41, isn't a director, was made bankrupt last August and the biggest shareholder is his wife Hazel.

A spokeswoman for the firm insisted it will be able to pay everyone back from future wins. It's taken £1.6million and expects just over half of cases to succeed. But it already owes £400,000 in tax and legal fees.

And now she won't talk to us as we "only want to report the negatives".